Card holder



B. B. OSHER CARD HOLDER Sept. 1, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 13, 1959 Sept. 1, 1964 B. B. QSHER 3,146,816

CARD HOLDER Filed Nov. 13, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY p 1, 1954 B. B. OSHER 3,146,816

CARD HOLDER Filed Nov. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. 8527/14/11 3. 05/767? United States Patent 3,146,816 CARD HOLDER Benjamin B. Osher, New York, N.Y., assignor to American Kleer-VU Plastics, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 852,808 12 Claims. (Cl. 150-39) The present invention relates to a card holder, and it particularly relates to a card holder of the type designed to carry identification or credit cards and which may be conveniently enclosed in a wallet or carried separately.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple, durable card holder in which the cards will be retained in transparent members and readily assembled and handled in units so that they may be inserted in and removed from a wallet or used separately to carry any desired number of cards.

Another object is to provide novel transparent carriers for credit cards and other devices in which the units may be readily assembled together without unduly increasing the thickness or bulk thereof and with assurance that the holders or group of holders may be handled as units.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactory to form the body of thin transparent plastic materials, such as cellulose acetate or even of material, such as polyethylene terephthalate often known as Mylar.

Desirably the transparent sheet material should be relatively thin yet strong, so as not to break or tear, and they should be of non-adhesive material so that the envelope material will not stick to one another.

Furthermore, the material, when folded or bent should hold its shape.

The present invention is particularly directed to the folding of the transparent envelopes or wing assemblies, and the junctions between the folders at such fold lines and the methods of assembling the folders together.

Normally, a metallized or fabric material is connected to the envelopes or wing assemblies at the position of junction and forms a connection between the opposite envelopes and also provides for the folding of the envelopes together in pairs.

It has been found that the inside wing assemblies may have portions of their central bindings or hinge junction die cut so as to extend outwardly through openings or slits in the outer units by which a tab is provided.

This tab will enable ready assembly of a group of folded transparent envelopes or wing assemblies together and enable them to be handled as a unit.

A further feature of the present invention resides in recessing the envelopes or wing assemblies at their central fold lines or portions so as to decrease the bulk at these positions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

fldb'filh Patented Sept. 1, 1964 In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing how a group of envelopes may be readily assembled together to form a unit assembly with a projecting tab.

FIG. 2 is a separating view showing the two uni-ts separated from one another before assembly.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section view taken upon the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view showing an assembly with the assembly tab at different locations.

FIG. 5 is a top plan separated view showing an alternative method of assembling transparent enclosures together.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 5 when the elements thereof are joined together.

PEG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view upon the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a separated view showing an alternative envelope assembly.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view showing an assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 10-1 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of an alternative form of assembly.

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 12-12 of FIG. 11 and upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an alternative embodiment as compared to FIG. 12 showing how the principle of FIG. 12 may be applied to a plurality of envelope enclosures.

FIG. 14 is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment in which there is a cutout in the center acting as a tab.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown the transparent envelope or wing assemblies or enclosure sections A, B, C and D.

Each of these enclosures consists of two layers 20 of transparent relatively stiff plastic material, such as cellulose acetate or polyethylene terephthalate.

Desirably the material making up each enclosure A to D may consist of a single strip of material folded over on itself as indicated at 21 with flaps 22 and 23.

It will be noted, that the flaps 22 and 23 are offset from one another so as not to cause undue bulkiness at the top or bottom of the folders.

The hinge structures E and F are desirably formed of a fabric or flexible sheet material which may be metallized and which may be mounted within the edge of the sheets as indicated at 24 and 25 in FIG. 3.

If desired, this sheet material may be engaged on the outside edge 26 and 27 of the folders rather than on the inside edge.

The important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that a portion of the folded material at F is die cut out at 28 and then caused to project through a slot 29 at the fold line 30 of the hinge material E of the outer folder A-B.

This projection of the tab G through the slot 29 will permit any number of folders or wing assemblies A-B, C-D, etc., to be assembled and picked up or removed together by the tab G or inserted in a wallet or removed from a wallet or pocketbook as a unit by means of the tab G which may serve as a handle.

The recesses 31 at the outer edges 32 of the envelopes A to D all inclusive permit opening of the envelopes so that tickets, cards or identification material may be inserted therein.

The arrangements shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrates a convenient way of assembling a number of transparent card carrying envelopes together and permits most ready handling thereof.

In the alternative embodiment in FIG. 4, there may be provided a plurality of folders at and 41 having the fold structure 42 with the tab 43 projecting there through.

The overlaps 44 and 45 are offset from one another, and the transparent envelopes are integrally joined at their opposite fold lines as indicated at 46 and 47.

Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 5, the transparent envelopes or enclosures 60, 61 and 62, 63 extend integrally across the fold lines 64 and 65.

The fold lines have cut in portions 66 and 67, 68 and 69 so as to form receptacles or V-shaped recesses to receive engagement pin or engagement clip if such is available or to be used in the folder.

The material is integrally folded as indicated at 70 and 71 with the flaps extending over as indicated at 72 and 73.

It will be noted that the flaps 72 and 73 are offset.

Between the recesses 66 and 67 and the recesses 68 and 69, there are provided the long wide slots 74 and 75 which extend substantially to but stop short of these recesses 66 to 69.

The cut outs, or slots 74 and 75 make the hinge much easier and also will reduce the bulk at the hinge portions 64 and 67.

To join the two envelopes 60-61 and 62-63 together, the fabric or Mylar strips 76 and 77 may be employed.

These strips will each have a pressure sensitive facing on their inside faces as indicated at 78, and they will be slotted at '79, 80, 81 and 82 to match the V-shaped recesses 66, 67, 68 and 69, but they are not slotted to correspond to the wide central slots 74 and 75.

As a result, when these strips are assembled as indicated in FIG. 6, their central portions 83 and 84 may be pressed through the slots 74 and 75.

As indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the central portion 83 and 84 will become adhesively attached to each other at said slots and will hold the combined folders 60-61 and 62-63 together.

By the arrangement as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a series of double envelopes may be readily assembled together at the hinge.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the transparent folders and enclosures each consist of two rectangular strips and 101 which are engaged by the folder edges 102 and 103 of the base strips 104 and 105.

The assembly is then made by two strips 106 and 107 of pressure sensitive fabric or Mylar.

These strips have pressure sensitive adhesives on their inside faces as indicated at 108, and when pressed together, their central portions at 10% will adhere together to form the hinge through the slots or openings 110 and 111 while their outer edges as indicated at 112, 113, 114, and 115 will adopt themselves to the edges 116, 117, 118, and 119 of the sections 100-101 and 104-105.

Thus it is apparent that a simple assembly of a single double fold device is formed in the manner shown in FIGS. 8 to 10.

In the arrangement as indicated in FIG. 11, a single strip of fabric or Mylar may be used as the hinge.

In such a construction, the base sections 141 and 142 have cutouts 143 and 144 with folded over portions 145 and 146 to engage the edges 147 and 148 of the top sections 149 and 150.

By the cutouts indicated at 143 and 144, it is possible for the strip 140 to have pressed in portions 151 which will respectively attach themselves to the sections 149 and and hold them together even though the hinge strip 140 is only on one side.

The cutouts 143 and 144 may be made wider to give additional security.

In the embodiment of FIG. 13, the same arrangement is applied with double enclosures and 161 at one side and 162 and 163 at the other side.

Two strips 164 and 165 are employed, and they are pressed through the hinge line to engage the inside sections at the recesses formed therein.

It is thus apparent that the applicant has provided a simple method of assembling and joining transparent card carrying envelopes which may be widely applied in making up assemblies of these envelopes in multiples so that they may be readily utilized in such assemblies or inserted or removed from wallets, pocketbooks or even apparel pockets in their assembled condition.

Moreover, the assemblies eliminate any bulk and permit a most compact assembled arrangement.

It will be noted that the assembly is always accomplished at the central hinge and by use of the hinge material whether it be adhesives or pressure sensitive fabric or Mylar film.

Mylar film is known chemically as polyethylene terephthalate.

In the embodiment of FIG. 14 is shown a one piece wing structure 41' with a centrally positioned tab 43' projecting through a cutout in the center at the hinge end 42'.

This type of wing element as shown in FIG. 14 is a one piece structure and the tab 43' is also one piece with the interior fold or hinge binding and it may if desired be assembled with other wing structures with the element 43 projecting through slots in the other wing structures.

It will be noted that the slots 29 as shown in FIG. 2 may be directly in the fold line 30 between the wing assemblies A and B with the tab G having enlarged edges so that it will snap into and be locked within the slot 29 when the inside and outside assemblies are assembled together as in FIG. 3, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 consisting of one embodiment. The tab G is integral with the hinging portion of the inside assembly C-G and it will originate from one side of the hinging assembly.

As many changes could be made in the above card holder and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. A readily handled unit composed of a plurality of inside and outside assembled, readily inserted and removed in unitary assembly thin transparent sheet plastic wing assemblies having side double ply wings with edge openings to receive and expose identification, charge, membership and license cards, said wings having central junction hinge connections at which connections the wings may be folded together, an inside assembly having a tab hinged at the hinge connection and an outside assembly having a slot through which said tab is inserted through and beyond the hinge connection on the outside assmebly.

2. The unit of claim 1, said tab being cut from the side of one of said hinge connections and having wide edge portions at the outer end and adjacent its junction with said hinge connection.

3. The unit of claim 1, said hinge connections being formed of separate flexible sheet material mounted on the adjacent end of the wing assemblies at the hinge connections.

4. The unit of claim 1, said wing assemblies being formed of single strips of material folded over on one another with the folded over portions being offset from one another so as not to cause undue bulkiness.

5. The unit of claim 1, said hinge connections forming part of the wing assemblies and and said wing assemblies including an outside assembly and an inside assembly and a short central slot extending along the hinge connection of the outside assembly and an outwardly projecting tab with enlarged outside edges extending away from the hinge connection of the inside assembly and through said slot.

6. A multiple card holder device composed of a plurality of centrally folding thin transparent sheet plastic enclosures being elongated horizontally along a longitudinal horizontal axis and of relatively shorter dimension vertically and with central folding junctions extending centrally vertically and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the enclosures, said enclosures, each consisting of upper and lower folded edges and front and back walls of plastic sheet material with overlapping portions in said front and back walls and with the overlapping portions extending longitudinally parallel to the axis and adjacent the folded edges and said enclosures consisting of an inside enclosure and an outside enclosure and said outside enclosure having a transverse slot entrally positioned and extending parallelly to and through the folding junctions and a tab extending through said slot end to form an assembly of said inside and outside enclosures, said tab being cut out of the innermost one of said enclosures adjacent said junction and consisting of a tongue having an enlarged outer edge so as to snap in and lock within said slot.

7. A multiple card holder device composed of a plurality of centrally folding thin transparent sheet plastic enclosures being elongated horizontally along a longitudinal horizontal axis and of relatively shorter dimension vertically and with central folding junctions extending centrally vertically and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the enclosures, said enclosures, each consisting of upper and lower folded edges and front and back Walls of plastic sheet material with overlapping portions in said front and back walls and with the overlapping portions extending longitudinally parallel to the axis and adjacent the folded edges and said enclosures consisting of an inside enclosure and an outside enclosure and said outside enclosure having a transverse slot centrally positioned and extending parallelly to and through the folding junctions and a tab extending through said slot end to form an assembly of said inside and outside enclosures, said tab being out out of the innermost one of said enclosures adjacent said junction and consisting of a tongue being spaced away from the fold line of the inside enclosure and said slot being in the fold line of said outside enclosure.

8. A multiple card holder device composed of at least one innermost and one outer centrally folded thin transparent sheet plastic enclosures and with central folding junctions extending centrally between the enclosures, said enclosures each consisting of front and back walls of transparent plastic sheet material, said junctions being formed of central fabric bands constituting folding hinges and said junctions being held together in contact with each other with a slot in the line of and extending through the fold of the hinge fold of the outer junction and a tab cut out of said fabric band of the innermost enclosure on one side of the hinge fold with the base of the tab 6 being adjacent the hinge fold and said tab being inserted through and extending beyond and filling said slot and serving as a handle for carrying said device.

9. The device of claim 8, said tab having an enlarged outer edge so as to snap in and lock Within said slot.

10. The device of claim 8, said tab constituting a continuation of and being in the plane of the plastic enclosure of the innermost folded enclosure.

11. A transparent envelope carrier assembly for identification and credit cards comprising double ply side sections consisting of transparent sheet materials folded together to form envelopes, and central folded hinge members connecting said double ply side sections hingedly together, said hinge members being arranged to form at least one inside hinge member and at least one outside hinge member and said hinge members forming central folded portions contacting one another and said hinge members being provided with attachment means attaching the assembly together, said attachment means consisting of a tab on an inside hinge member hingedly connected to the fold of the inside hinge member and an outside hinge member having a slot receiving said tab, said hinge members being directly in contact with each other and being held closely together to form a stack of hinge members one inside of the other and contacting each other and said tab being cut out of the portion of one side of one of the hinge members adjacent the hinge and haivng its inside portion along the hinge line and having its outside portion projecting beyond the hinge line.

12. A transparent envelope carrier assembly for identification and credit cards comprising double ply side sections consisting of transparent sheet materials folded together to form envelopes, and central folded hinge members connecting said double ply side sections hingedly together, said hinge members being provided with attachment means to attach the assembly together, there being an inside envelope and an outside envelope with inside and outside hinge members, said hinge members being provided respectively with an inside tab and an outside slot, which form a connection with the inside tab projecting through the outside slot, said tab being formed from an inside hinge member and being hingedly connected to the fold of the inside hinge member and an outside hinge member receiving said slot said hinge members being directly in contact with each other with the hinge members being held closely together to form a stack of hinge members, one inside of the other and contacting the other, and said tab being cut out of one hinge member and having its inside portion along the hinge line and having its outside portion located beyond the hinge line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,234,401 Farkas et al. Mar. 11, 1941 2,238,332 Lyman Apr. 15, 1941 2,250,018 Gundell July 22, 1941 2,349,947 Einzig May 30, 1944 2,355,037 Einzig Aug. 1, 1944 2,385,093 Marsh Sept. 18, 1945 2,732,875 Martin Jan. 31, 1956 2,828,790 Osher Apr. 1, 1958 

1. A READILY HANDLED UNIT COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ASSEMBLED, READILY INSERTED AND REMOVED IN UNITARY ASSEMBLY THIN TRANSPARENT SHEET PLASTIC WING ASSEMBLIES HAVING SIDE DOUBLE PLY WINGS THE EDGE OPENINGS TO RECEIVE AND EXPOSE IDENTIFICATION, CHARGE, MEMBERSHIP AND LICENSE CARDS, SAID WINGS HAVING CENTRAL JUNCTION HINGE CONNECTIONS AT WHICH CONNECTIONS THE WINGS MAY BE FOLDED TOGETHER, AN INSIDE ASSEMBLY HAVING A TAB HINGED AT THE HINGE CONNECTION AND AN OUTSIDE ASSEMBLY HAVING A SLOT THROUGH WHICH SAID TAB IS INSERTED THROUGH AND BEYOND THE HINGE CONNECTION ON THE OUTSIDE ASSEMBLY. 